


Loose Ends

by BlackMarketTrombones



Series: Flash Fiction [25]
Category: POKEMON Detective Pikachu (2019)
Genre: Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-29
Updated: 2019-07-29
Packaged: 2020-07-24 19:29:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20019829
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlackMarketTrombones/pseuds/BlackMarketTrombones
Summary: Whatever happened to all the Pokemon used in lab experiments?





	Loose Ends

When the dust settled, there was one very pressing question to deal with.

“So what the hell are we going to do about all the escaped lab experiments?” Harry asked Hide, and it made its way all the way up to Roger Clifford.

He actually groaned when it was brought to his attention. “Why does this have to be _my_ problem? Don’t I have enough on my plate already?”

“Technically, they do belong to you, sir,” Hide pointed out.

Roger groaned again.

Eventually and after much argument, it was decided that Rhyme City would invite foreign trainers and breeders to capture as many as they could keep. The Pokemon had been artificially enhanced to be as powerful as possible—surely at least a _few_ people would be interested.

Within the week, reported captures included:

5 Greninja  
5 Torterra  
4 Emboar  
1 Pignite  
2 Alakazam  
3 Kadabra  
1 Vaporeon  
1 Jolteon  
1 Flareon  
1 Leafeon  
1 Glaceon  
3 Eevee (all holding Everstones)

—Which mostly matched what few research records they were able to pull from the lab’s corrupted database.

(Nobody brought up the glaring loose end that had flown away from Rhyme City like a Zubat out of hell a week ago. Nobody wanted to be the one to propose recapturing the most powerful Pokemon in the world.)

A job well-done. City officials patted themselves on the back and prepared to move on.

“What about the Torterra?” Tim asked.

Harry and Hide looked back down at their list.

“We got them, bud,” Harry said. “All five of ‘em.”

But Tim shook his head. “I mean the _big_ ones.”

Several hurried conversations later, they found themselves back in Roger Clifford’s office.

“They’re _how_ big??”

\---

Acacia Jones had been a niche but relatively respected Pokebiologist until investigations revealed she was involved with the PCL experiments. Like all the other scientists, she’d been missing as long as Harry Goodman, and officers sent to search her apartment were shocked to find her holed up there in total darkness and covered with inexpertly-wrapped bandages.

Now she was in disgrace and awaiting trial for Pokemon cruelty, her medical license revoked. As far as investigators could tell, she was the only survivor of Mewtwo’s escape.

“What do you mean, they’re dying?” Harry demanded.

Acacia flinched. Character witnesses reported that she had been a calm and collected professional, but the police had found her to be agitated and jumpy. From the little existing footage of Mewtwo's rampage at the lab, Harry supposed he couldn't blame her. “W-well, with the size they are, they have to metabolize huge amounts just to satisfy their basic bodily functions. Even with the, uh, amount of foliage they all have, they can’t photosynthesize enough, and any extra movement just eats up more energy they have to replenish.”

“So what was Doctor Laurent’s plan to deal with them?”

“Um, I wasn’t really, uh, privy to the doctor’s plans—”

“What I really want to know,” Harry interrupted, “is, do you think there _was_ any plan in place or was everyone just going to let them die at the end of the experiments?”

Acacia looked away.

“There’s really nothing anyone can do?” Tim asked as soon as Harry stepped out of the interrogation room.

“Looks like,” Harry said, catching Pikachu as it bounded off of Tim’s shoulders and headfirst into his chest. He held onto it a moment longer before letting it wriggle free and settle behind his neck. “Maybe some Pokemon rights activists might have ideas to make it easier on them but… What do you do with five billion-ton Torterra?”

“I guess…” Tim looked downcast. “It’s sad, though. I know they nearly killed me and Pikachu and Lucy and Psyduck, but it’s not like they meant it. They don’t deserve… Well, they just deserve better, I guess.”

"That happens a lot in life, unfortunately.” Harry clapped a hand against Tim’s shoulder and started steering him out of the precinct. “Now, what was that about you almost dying?”

**Author's Note:**

> I made up some Pokémon experiments. Once the movie comes out on DVD I'll review for any I've missed, but I doubt they only had Greninja, Torterra, and Mewtwo in that lab.


End file.
